The Southern Standard wants to take the opportunity to highlight the standout Warren County athletes. Partnering with R3 Logistics and Mud Bums Family Sports Grill, we will be honoring a Pioneer of the Week throughout the 2023-24 school year. Our honoree from August 13-19 is WCHS Pioneer quarterback Alex van Vuuren.

As the preseason went along, the buzz about senior QB Alex van Vuuren began to grow. Each time he took the field, coaches and fans started to talk about the Pioneer signal caller and his ability to push the ball down the field. People have told those tall tales about a flourishing passing game over the years, but it rarely came to fruition when the season started.

Van Vuuren made sure to prove the hype was real last Friday. The senior became the first Pioneer in seven years to throw for 200 yards in a game (Isaiah Grayson last did it against Sequatchie County in 2016) and added 75 yards on the ground as he guided the Pioneers to a 34-27 comeback win over the DeKalb County Tigers.

"We knew what we had with Alex and we were going to be committed to letting him air it out," said coach Matt Turner. "He performed well. He was in command and did a good job."

Van Vuuren showed off his versatility on throws, whether it was touch passes down the sidelines, hitting open receivers in stride down the field or tossing up a jump ball in the endzone for a score. Over and over, van Vuuren  put the ball in the right place, allowing his teammates to make big plays.

He wasn't afraid to seize the moment when it mattered either. Down 27-26 in the final three minutes, Warren County worked its way into the redzone and van Vuuren took over. He powered his way to the endzone on back-to-back runs, assuring his linemen in the huddle if they made the blocks, he'd get the score.

Warren County can hope for an encore from their talented signal caller this Friday when the Pioneers take on the White County Warriors. Kickoff at Nunley Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m.